Minnesota Sports Forum

Under each category is the player and their contract amounts by year, starting with this season.

Vet Starting-Caliber
Kristaps Porzingis - $30.7M
Myles Turner - $25.3M, $26.6M, $27.9M, $29.1M (Player Option)
Nikola Vucevic - $21.5M
Jusuf Nurkic - $19.4M
Ivaca Zubac - $18.1M, $19.6M, $21M

Backups/fringe Starters
Zach Collins - $18.1M
Daniel Gafford - $14.4M, $17.3M, $18.1M, $19M
Kelly Olynyk - $13.5M
Robert Williams (aka Time Lord) - $13.3M

Backups
Kyle Anderson* - $9.2M, $9.7M
Brook Lopez - $8.8M, $9.2M (Team Option)
Goga Bitadze - $8.3M, $7.6M
Kevon Looney - $8M, $8M (Team Option)
Day'Ron Sharpe - $6.3M, $6.3M (Team Option)
Andre Drummond - $5M
Moritz Wanger - $5M
Nick Richards - $5M
Joan Beringer - Internal Option
Dwight Powell - $4M
Jaxson Hayes - $3.5M
Tony Bradley - $2.9M
Xavier Tillman Sr. - $2.5M
Jericho Sims - $2.4M
Thomas Bryant - $2.3M
Mason Plumlee - $2.3M
Moussa Diabate - $2.3M, $2.5M
Trayce Jackson Davis - $2.2M, $2.4M (Team Option)

* not really a Center, but did effectively play that role defensively off the bench at times with the Wolves.

- I excluded guys that are highly likely not to get traded like Jokic, Hartenstein, Duren, etc., etc.

- I mostly excluded guys on rookie deals that don't have much NBA experience. We have two of those already!

- Obviously the first set of guys here would probably require us to trade Naz or Randle in order to make salaries and playing time work for the incoming big, who would also have to share the floor with Rudy at times.

- What's striking to me is the sheer volume of potential trade targets that are on the last year of their deal or they have a team option for next season.

- Without getting into the nitty gritty of each player's strenghts and weaknesses and who might fit on our roster, I think it's fair to say that there are lots of options here at various price points. If Connelly really feels we need a Rudy backup/insurance policy, he should be able to get something done.

Sorry I didn't get to this sooner, Q! I love the work you put into it.

Unless the wheels start falling off, I don't think TC would move ANY of our regular rotation guys for a backup C. That eliminates everyone on the "starter" and "fringe-starter" lists. It also means the only assets we have to trade are Dilly, Shannon and/or Miller. And of the guys on that list, we need to consider what their current role is on their team, and what their team's prospects are for the playoffs. Another thought is some of those guys could be buyout candidates. Some of the guys on your list have been on my radar:

Kyle Anderson - everyone knows I've been itching for some SloMo. While not technically a "team option", the last year of his contract is non-guaranteed. I don't see a good trade option for SloMo, but I can almost guarantee he will be bought out after the trade deadline, if not before.

Kevin Looney - I know you have been itching for some Looney. He's not getting much run in New Orleans, but like SloMo, I don't see an easy trade option. Could he be a buyout candidate?

Mason Plumlee - I've been keeping my eye on Mason. He is on a vet minimum contract and not getting much run in Charlotte. A trade for one of our young guys might work. He could also be a buyout candidate, although, like Looney, what would be his reason for considering Minnesota?

Thomas Bryant would be cool to get, but I don't see Cleveland giving him up. I've looked at Tillman, and Richards, who is apparently very available, but they don't do a whole lot for me.

Anyway, good list. I suspect we might be waiting for the buyout guys, but an injury to one of our bigs might force TC's hand.


[Edit: N/M on Plumlee - he just underwent surgery and will be re-evaluated in 6 weeks...]

Yeah, great list Q! Dilly for Looney works salary-wise and would really help our non-Rudy minutes, but would we be giving up on Dilly too soon?

Any team interested in trading future money for Mike Conley? Sorry Mike.

FNG wrote: ↑Wed Dec 31, 2025 1:38 pm Yeah, great list Q! Dilly for Looney works salary-wise and would really help our non-Rudy minutes, but would we be giving up on Dilly too soon?

Boy, hard to see Dilly becoming anything that great given where he's at as a 2nd year player. I just can't think of other past examples THIS bad offensively in their 2nd season that went on to become really good rotation players. Certainly there are plenty of great players that had horrific rookie years, but there is usually a nice step of improvement in their second season.

As for Looney and the other Centers here, I haven't really done a deep dive to have much of an opinion. Looney has struggled to contribute much in New Orleans, but is he the type of guy who gets better when the surrounding talent is better, as often is the case with role players?

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Thu Jan 01, 2026 10:43 am

FNG wrote: ↑Wed Dec 31, 2025 1:38 pm Yeah, great list Q! Dilly for Looney works salary-wise and would really help our non-Rudy minutes, but would we be giving up on Dilly too soon?

Boy, hard to see Dilly becoming anything that great given where he's at as a 2nd year player. I just can't think of other past examples THIS bad offensively in their 2nd season that went on to become really good rotation players. Certainly there are plenty of great players that had horrific rookie years, but there is usually a nice step of improvement in their second season.

As for Looney and the other Centers here, I haven't really done a deep dive to have much of an opinion. Looney has struggled to contribute much in New Orleans, but is he the type of guy who gets better when the surrounding talent is better, as often is the case with role players?

Maybe Tracy McGrady? I don't know I didn't watch him in his early seasons and he was a year younger coming into the NBA straight from High School. Tracy's 2nd year stats 49 games, 9.3 points shooting 43.6% from the field and 22.9% from the three.

rapsuperstar31 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 01, 2026 10:50 am

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Thu Jan 01, 2026 10:43 am

FNG wrote: ↑Wed Dec 31, 2025 1:38 pm Yeah, great list Q! Dilly for Looney works salary-wise and would really help our non-Rudy minutes, but would we be giving up on Dilly too soon?

Boy, hard to see Dilly becoming anything that great given where he's at as a 2nd year player. I just can't think of other past examples THIS bad offensively in their 2nd season that went on to become really good rotation players. Certainly there are plenty of great players that had horrific rookie years, but there is usually a nice step of improvement in their second season.

As for Looney and the other Centers here, I haven't really done a deep dive to have much of an opinion. Looney has struggled to contribute much in New Orleans, but is he the type of guy who gets better when the surrounding talent is better, as often is the case with role players?

Maybe Tracy McGrady? I don't know I didn't watch him in his early seasons and he was a year younger coming into the NBA straight from High School. Tracy's 2nd year stats 49 games, 9.3 points shooting 43.6% from the field and 22.9% from the three.

Yes in terms of shooting, but he filled the box score with positive "do shit" stats in a way Dilly will never be able to do and his 43% shooting is still miles ahead of Dilly's pathetic 36%.

Ish Smith is a good example of someone that was pretty damn bad early in his career that eventually carved out a role as a solid backup PG in his late 20s and early 30s for about a 5-season window. But I think we'd all agree an Ish Smith type career for Dilly would be failure!

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Tue Dec 30, 2025 9:31 pm Under each category is the player and their contract amounts by year, starting with this season.

Vet Starting-Caliber
Kristaps Porzingis - $30.7M
Myles Turner - $25.3M, $26.6M, $27.9M, $29.1M (Player Option)
Nikola Vucevic - $21.5M
Jusuf Nurkic - $19.4M
Ivaca Zubac - $18.1M, $19.6M, $21M

Backups/fringe Starters
Zach Collins - $18.1M
Daniel Gafford - $14.4M, $17.3M, $18.1M, $19M
Kelly Olynyk - $13.5M
Robert Williams (aka Time Lord) - $13.3M

Backups
Kyle Anderson* - $9.2M, $9.7M
Brook Lopez - $8.8M, $9.2M (Team Option)
Goga Bitadze - $8.3M, $7.6M
Kevon Looney - $8M, $8M (Team Option)
Day'Ron Sharpe - $6.3M, $6.3M (Team Option)
Andre Drummond - $5M
Moritz Wanger - $5M
Nick Richards - $5M
Joan Beringer - Internal Option
Dwight Powell - $4M
Jaxson Hayes - $3.5M
Tony Bradley - $2.9M
Xavier Tillman Sr. - $2.5M
Jericho Sims - $2.4M
Thomas Bryant - $2.3M
Mason Plumlee - $2.3M
Moussa Diabate - $2.3M, $2.5M
Trayce Jackson Davis - $2.2M, $2.4M (Team Option)

* not really a Center, but did effectively play that role defensively off the bench at times with the Wolves.

I've added Joan Beringer to the list above, as I now believe he COULD be someone the Wolves roll the dice on helping them out during the stretch run and playoffs as a bench big. I think it's still somewhat of a long shot, but he's getting lots of competitive reps in the G-League and proved in his short international career that he is capable of making in-season improvements.

I agree with you on adding Joan to the list. He absolutely has shown significant improvement and comfort since his first game with Iowa.

Here are some interesting circumstances surrounding Joan's potential minutes with the big club:

- Iowa does not play until January 9th, and even then, it is a back-to-back in San Diego. I suspect Joan will be back up with the big club today and will not go to San Diego.
- The whole business of 10-day contracts, buy outs and the trade deadline, is rapidly approaching. Finding out if Joan is a possibility should factor into some of the TC's decision making. It's time to give Joan some spot minutes to evaluate his potential for this year.
- I don't think we've had many minutes of Rudy on the court without one of Randle or NAZ on the floor, but there was a pretty good stint of that last night with Jaden at the four. That's the kind of situation where Joan could play alongside Rudy for spot minutes. Although, Joan's usage at PF has been pretty limited thus far...